The band were founded at the University of Dundee in 1994 by Lightbody, Mark McClelland, and Michael Morrison of Shrug. After briefly using the name Polarbear, releasing the EP Starfighter Pilot (1997) and losing Morrison as a member, the band became Snow Patrol in 1997 and added Quinn to its lineup. Their first two studio albums, Songs for Polarbears (1998) and When It's All Over We Still Have to Clear Up (2001), released by the independent record label Jeepster Records, were commercially unsuccessful. The band then signed to the major record label Polydor Records in 2002.
Connolly joined Snow Patrol in 2002, and after their major-label debut album, Final Straw, the following year, with "Run", the album's biggest hit, the band rose to national fame. The album was certified 5x platinum in the UK. Their next studio album, Eyes Open (2006), and its hit single, "Chasing Cars"—reported in 2019 to be the most-played song of the 21st century on UK radio—propelled the band to greater international fame. The album topped the UK Albums Chart and was the best-selling British album of the year. In 2008, Snow Patrol released their fifth studio album, A Hundred Million Suns; then, in 2009, they released their first compilation album, Up to Now; and, in 2011, their sixth studio album, Fallen Empires, was published. The band released their seventh album, Wildness, on 25 May 2018.
During the course of their career, Snow Patrol have won seven Meteor Ireland Music Awards and been nominated for six Brit Awards and one Grammy. Final Straw, Eyes Open, and A Hundred Million Suns have sold ten million copies worldwide, combined.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_Patrol
Studio albums
Songs for Polarbears (1998)
When It's All Over We Still Have to Clear Up (2001)
Final Straw (2003)
Eyes Open (2006)
A Hundred Million Suns (2008)
Fallen Empires (2011)
Wildness (2018)
09. Ways & Means
Snow Patrol Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I should try to make it right
Are you ready for the shit to hit
I think you say you are but aren't
Doctor make it better instantly
You're the only one who can
I've waited here my whole damn life
And I've forgotten what I wanted
Maybe I can do it
If I put my back into it
I can leave you if I wanted
But there's nowhere else that I can go
Maybe I won't suffer
If I find I way to love her
I'd be lying to myself
But there is no way out that I can see
If I lied you'd know it instantly
So I just had to look away
All the honesty I've ever lost
I can't begin to even curse
I never knew the taste of blood til now
It's clear I never should have known
Breathing fire was never this much fun
So there's a dark side in us all
The lyrics to Snow Patrol's song 09. Ways & Means explore a sense of confusion and regret in a relationship that has become strained. The singer is overwhelmed with work and struggling to find time to make amends with their partner. They acknowledge that they should try to make things right but are feeling unsure if their efforts will be enough. The singer then turns to a doctor, perhaps as a metaphor for therapy, to help them instantly fix the problems in their relationship. However, they may also be acknowledging that finding a quick fix is not possible.
The chorus then reveals that the singer feels stuck in the relationship, but at the same time, they feel they cannot leave. They are conflicted about whether to continue in the relationship or to end it. The line “Maybe I won't suffer if I find a way to love her” hints that the singer hopes they can find a way to make the relationship work, but they may be lying to themselves.
The second verse highlights the tension and struggle between honesty and deception in the relationship. The singer acknowledges that lying would be detected instantly, so they choose to look away instead. They have lost their ability to be honest and are unable to express their feelings without cursing. The final line, “So there's a dark side in us all,” suggests that both the singer and their partner have an underlying darkness or vulnerability contributing to their relationship’s challenges.
Line by Line Meaning
Getting too busy to make amends
I've been too occupied to fix my mistakes
I should try to make it right
I need to attempt to make things better
Are you ready for the shit to hit
Are you prepared for the difficult times ahead
I think you say you are but aren't
I believe you claim to be, but deep down you're not
Doctor make it better instantly
You have the ability to heal my pain right away
You're the only one who can
No one else has the capability to fix me like you can
I've waited here my whole damn life
I've spent my entire existence anticipating this moment
And I've forgotten what I wanted
But now that I'm here, I'm not even sure what I desire anymore
Maybe I can do it
Perhaps I'm able to accomplish this
If I put my back into it
If I concentrate all my efforts on it
I can leave you if I wanted
I have the freedom to depart from you if need be
But there's nowhere else that I can go
But there isn't any other place that I want to be than by your side
Maybe I won't suffer
It's possible that I won't have to endure pain
If I find I way to love her
If I discover how to express my feelings for her
I'd be lying to myself
But in actuality, I would be deceiving myself
But there is no way out that I can see
Nonetheless, I can't seem to find a way out of this situation
If I lied you'd know it instantly
If I wasn't truthful, you would recognize it immediately
So I just had to look away
As a result, I had to avert my gaze from you
All the honesty I've ever lost
I've misplaced all of the truthfulness I ever possessed
I can't begin to even curse
I can't even bring myself to swear about it
I never knew the taste of blood til now
I never experienced violence or pain to this degree before
It's clear I never should have known
It's obvious that I was better off not having known
Breathing fire was never this much fun
I didn't expect to derive so much enjoyment from this type of behavior
So there's a dark side in us all
This demonstrates that every individual possesses a negative aspect to their personality
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Peermusic Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GARY LIGHTBODY, MARK PETE MCCLELLAND, JONATHAN GRAHAM QUINN, IAIN DENIS ARCHER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind